Paper feeding device



Nov. 3, 1936. E. H. DREHER PAPER FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 21, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY V- 1936. E. H. DREHER PAPER FEEDINGDEVICE Filed April 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY WiTNESSESmaw zw fr y/QM attend adjustment and maintenance.

Patented Nov. 3, i936 PATENT OFFME 2,059,214 PAPER FEEDING DEVICE ElmerH. Dreher, Brooklyn, N. 5L, assignor to Remington Rand lnc'., ration ofDelaware Buffalo, N. Y a corpo- Application April 21, 1934, Serial No.721,664 2 Claims. (01. 197-138) This invention relates broadly andgenerally to the rotary type of printing platen mechanism, hence onlysuch prior art, as may be necessary establish a satisfactory matrix willbe described. It relates particularly to platens such as those disclosedin connection with mechanism of patents to Lasker 1,317,509, datedSeptember 1919, 1,571,955, dated February 9, 1926, 1, 627,- 394, datedMay 3, 1927, 1,920,993, dated August 8, 1933,to Last 1,849,494, datedMarch 15, 1932 and Laskers copending application Serial No. 684,438,filed August 9, 1933, but its use is not so restricted.

The invention is directed to overcome the uneven feeding of paper as itpasses around the platen and certain objectionable features which It iswell known that diiiiculty arises in securing even feeding of paperaround rotary platens whenever the paper, or papers, being fed are ofnonuniform thickness. This fault in the feeding necessitates theexpenditure of considerable time in truing up the paper. Usually thetension on the respective pairs of feed rolls is supplied by springsattached to each of the pairs and anchored to the plate which supportsthe platen.

. Such spring arrangement is'non-adjustable and mechanism in machineschines, typewriters,

cannot be repaired without dismantling the entire platen.

One object of the present invention is to make general improvements inthe paper feeding using rotary type platens.

Another object is to assure even feeding of the paper as it passes overthe platen.

Another object is to provide a new and improved form' of feed rolltensioningmechanism.

Another object is to provide novel means for equalizing the tension onthe feed rolls.

Another object is to provide readily adjustable means for varying thefeed roll tension between different points on the platen.

Another object is to provide novel changes in construction wherebysatisfactory operation is more readily maintained.

Another object is to provide features whereby the mechanism is morereadily accessible for repair.

The present invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism forsupporting, guiding and {controlling feed rolls which feed the paperaround the printing platen of tabulating matypewriting bookkeepingmachines, typewriting-adding machines, adding machines and othersimilar-machines using to tary type platens, and comprises means wherebythe tension on the feed rolls may be automatically equalized to assureeven feeding of paper of varying thickness or papersof variousthickness; whereby the feed roll tension may be adjusted 5 withoutdisassembling the platen unit and whereby the spring member of. thetension mechanism may be replaced without disassembling the platen unit.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a platen support- 5 ing plate, platendrive mechanism, one platen roll of a split platen unit and themechanism of this invention.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary view of a platen supporting plate showing acomplete unit of the 20 mechanisms of this invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a view of a section through the mechanism of Fig. 2 taken onthe line 3-8.

General descfiptz'on The present invention contemplates the com- 25bination of means hereinafter to be fully described, and a rotary platenof standard construction and operation.

The mechanism comprises a supporting plate 0 l, supporting brackets 2,platen 3, feed rolls 8 and la, and the feed roll tension mechanism whichwill be described in detail hereinafter. The platen may be onecontinuous cylinder mounted according to any of the usual methods; 35or, it may be a so-called split platen, one element of such a platenbeing shown in Fig. 1. The feed roll tensioning mechanism consists ofsupporting brackets ll, control links H, links l3, short 7 equalizerbars 84, long equalizer bars 85, retain- 4o ing plates 16, bell cranksl'l, springs l8, and shafts 2i and 22, together with such screws,rivets, pins, washers, collars and spacers as may be necessary forproper assembly.

A pair of feed rolls 4 and 4a are journaled opposite ends of a pair ofarcuate supporting brackets ii. The supporting brackets H are journaledat their mid-points to the control links f2 which are suspended from theshaft 2 l. Links l3 connect control links l2 to equalizer bars M 50which are pivoted at their mid-points to equalizer bars l5, which latterare similarly pivoted at their mid-points to the horizontal arms of thebell cranks ll. Retaining plates l6 restrain and guide the assembledequalizing mechanism which 2 resembles the well known wagon-whiifie treein its construction.

The shaft 22, journaled in hangers 23 and under control of amanipulative lever, (not shown), acts upon projections 24 on the controllink [2. Shaft 22 is milled to provide a flat surface which ismaintained in contact with projection 24 by the spring action of memberl8. Movement of the lever causes shaft 22 to exert a cam action againstprojection 24 and remove the feed rolls 4 and 4a from contact withplaten 3.

Feed roll tensioning The paper is inserted between the feed rolls 4a andthe platen 3; and the platen is turned counterclockwise, as viewed inFig. 3. The presence of this paper causes each feed roll assembly,consisting of members 4, 4a, and H, to be displaced downwardly. Thisdownward movement causes tension to be applied to a set of elements,consisting of control links [2 and connecting links l3. Two sets ofthese elements are associated with each of the short equalizer bars [4.The motion of the bars I4 is transmitted to the long equalizer bars l5,and thence to the horizontal arm of one or the other of the bell cranksH. The movement of the bell cranks causes the respective vertical armsthereof to move in directions opposite to each other, which lattermotion is restricted by the spring 18.

It is apparent that even through the paper may be of varying thicknessthe rolls will adjust themselves in such a way as to exert a uniformpressure against the platen, since the tension upon all rolls is exertedby one spring.

The tension may be varied by moving the spring i8 upwardly or downwardlyalong the notched vertical arms of the bell cranks IT. The amount oftension varies according to the distance of the spring l8 from thefulcrum of the bell crank l1. Hence, if light pressure is desired at oneend of the platen, the anchor point of the spring I8 is moved downwardlyon that bell crank H which is associated with those feed rolls at theend where the decreased pressure is desired.

When the necessity for renewing the spring It arises it may be removedfrom its mounting through the aperture is and a new spring inserted andhooked on to the bell cranks H7. The notches on the outward sides of thebell cranks afford means for retaining the spring l8 in any position inwhich it may be set.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirableembodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many changes in formcould be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I,therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown anddescribed, nor to any thing less than the whole of my invention ashereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new and desire Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, a platen, a plurality of feedrolls, pairs of said rolls being journalled in parallel relation inarcuate side members, connecting means for pivotally securing said sidemembers to the ends of a pair of whifile tree members, each of saidwhifile trees being pivotally secured to one leg of an L-shaped arm,said L-shaped arms being pivotally mounted on a frame, a tension springconnecting the other legs of said arms to maintain said feed rolls inequalized pressure engagement with said platen, and camming means actingon said connecting means for moving said rollers out of engagement withsaid platen.

2. In a device of the character described, a platen, a plurality of feedrolls mounted in pairs parallel to the transverse axis of said platen,an equalizing means for said rolls comprising an arcuate carriage foreach pair of rolls, said carriage being pivotally mounted in a train oflinks secured to each end of a pair of a whifile tree members, saidwhifile trees being pivotally mounted on one end of a pair of L-shapedarms which are pivotally secured to a frame, a tension to secure byspring connecting the other leg of said arms to l maintain said feedrolls in equalized frictional engagement with said platen and a shaft,having cam faces thereon running parallel to said platen and journalledon said frame and co-operating with an arm on one of said train of linksfor each of said carriages to effect the withdrawal of said pressurerolls from said platen.

ELMER H. DRE-HER.

